Meanings
plural milk thistles
- Any of the thistles in the genus Silybum, especially Silybum marianum.
Synonyms: blessed milk thistle, holy thistle, variegated thistle
- Lactuca serriola, prickly lettuce
- Various plants of genus Sonchus (sow thistles) with milky sap:
- Sonchus asper rough milk thistle
- Sonchus arvensis field milk thistle
- Sonchus oleraceus (common sow thistle)
- Sonchus wilmsii
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAny of the thistles in the genus Silybum, especially Silybum marianum.
More synonyms by meaning
nounany of several Old World coarse prickly-leaved shrubs and subshrubs having milky juice and yellow flowers; widely naturalized; often noxious weeds in cultivated soil
nountall Old World biennial thistle with large clasping white-blotched leaves and purple flower heads; naturalized in California and South America
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Ancient Greek σίλλυβον
- σίλλυβον (síllubon)Silybum, Silybum marianum
Basque astalikardu
- astalikarduSilybum, Silybum marianum
Bulgarian бял трън
- бял трън (bjal trăn)Silybum, Silybum marianum
Catalan card marià
- card mariàSilybum, Silybum marianum
Czech ostropestřec, ostropestřec mariánský
- ostropestřecSilybum, Silybum marianum
- ostropestřec mariánskýSilybum, Silybum marianum
Finnish maarianohdake, piikkisalaatti
- maarianohdakeSilybum, Silybum marianum
- piikkisalaattiLactuca serriola
German Mariendistel
- MariendistelSilybum, Silybum marianum
Greek γαϊδουράγκαθο, πετρομάρουλο
- γαϊδουράγκαθο (gaïdourágkatho)Silybum, Silybum marianum
- πετρομάρουλο (petromároulo)Lactuca serriola
Irish feochadán Muire
- feochadán MuireSilybum, Silybum marianum
Japanese 大薊
- 大薊 (oo-azami)Silybum, Silybum marianum
Korean 흰무늬엉겅퀴
- 흰무늬엉겅퀴 (huinmunuieonggeongkwi)Silybum, Silybum marianum
Polish ostropest, ostropest plamisty
- ostropestSilybum, Silybum marianum
- ostropest plamistySilybum, Silybum marianum
- sałata kompasowaLactuca serriola
Russian расторо́пша, расторо́пша пятни́стая
- расторо́пша (rastorópša)Silybum, Silybum marianum
- расторо́пша пятни́стая (rastorópša pjatnístaja)Silybum, Silybum marianum
- лату́к ди́кий (latúk díkij)Lactuca serriola
- молока́н (molokán)Lactuca serriola
Scottish Gaelic fòghnan-breac
- fòghnan-breacSilybum, Silybum marianum
Slovak pestrec, pestrec mariánsky
- pestrecSilybum, Silybum marianum
- pestrec mariánskySilybum, Silybum marianum
- ostropestrecSilybum, Silybum marianum
- ostropestrec mariánskySilybum, Silybum marianum
Turkish deve dikeni, peygamber dikeni
- deve dikeniSilybum, Silybum marianum
- peygamber dikeniSilybum, Silybum marianum
- karayandıkSilybum, Silybum marianum
- boğa dikeniSilybum, Silybum marianum
- yabani marulLactuca serriola
- yağ maruluLactuca serriola
Ukrainian росторо́пша, росторо́пша плями́ста
- росторо́пша (rostorópša)Silybum, Silybum marianum
- росторо́пша плями́ста (rostorópša pljamýsta)Silybum, Silybum marianum
Welsh ysgallen Fair
- ysgallen FairSilybum, Silybum marianum
Cite this entry
milk thistle. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/milk%20thistle
“milk thistle.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/milk%20thistle. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “milk thistle,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/milk%20thistle.
Source: milk thistle on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.